Exercises You can do at Work

Quick and Easy Indoor Exercises with Big Impact

Exercise is important. While not a lot of us like that fact, it is something we have all come to accept. People are living longer than ever before, partially due to our ever-increasing knowledge of nutrition, sleep, and exercise and the importance they have to the human body. People are interested in how to make exercising easier, faster, and more beneficial. Our ultra-busy, modern lives focus on convenience but demand dedication to work. As a result, it isn’t always easy to make time to take care of ourselves. Finding time to exercise may be the hardest of all. We can always keep healthy treats at our fingertips but can’t always morph our schedule to include significant blocks dedicated to anything other than work or family obligations. Fortunately, there are myriad indoor exercises you can do at work for any part of the body.

Walking

This is the easiest and the most overlooked form of exercising you can do at work. Utilize it to the best of your ability. Utilize the stairs. Choose them over an elevator ride and use them as often as possible. If you don’t work near a staircase, use you breaks and other opportunities to walk the perimeter inside or out. Choose restrooms and common areas as far from your workspace as possible. Don’t text or call for help from your coworkers. Get up and walk to their office. In warmer temperatures, utilize the parking area by parking further from the entrance. The simple act of walking can be turned into a fat-burning exercise by simply adding speed and frequency into the equation.

Lunges and Squats

Lunges are basically large steps into a bended knee you hold in place. It works to strengthen calf and thigh muscles. Do lunges at your desk or workspace. Add in several lunges while walking down the hall or to the water fountain. Squats are just that. Hold onto a desk or place hands on hips and bend at the knee. Hold the squatted position for just moment and hop back up to full standing. Squat back down. Repeat as many times as you can.

Water Bottle Weights

A few extra minutes between tasks is all the time you need to get pumped up at work. You do not need dumbbells or weights. Anything that is heavy can be used as an exercise aid. Water bottles, books, and anything that weighs over five pounds can be used like a dumbbell. Lift it straight out in front of you and back down several times. Try lifting the object straight out to your side for a little tougher routine. Increase the number of times you lift it each day.

Jumping Jacks

Nothing beats good old jumping jacks for increasing the heart rate and getting the blood pumping. A bit of space and a sound structure is needed to burst out in a rep of jumping jacks, so be careful where you do these. After lunch is a good time to do these and any aerobic exercise. It helps to burn calories and increases focus when many feel sluggish.

Low Impact Aerobics

Sitting in a chair, extend legs and arms straight out and hold for several seconds. Repeat several times. Another variation is to lift your arms over your head and then out in front, and out to the sides. Repeat as many times as you can. Any exercise you can incorporate into a sitting position can help as long as it makes your heart beat faster.

Yoga

Yoga exercises are very convenient to fit into a work day. Anywhere you can find to stretch and extend your body will work. Some yoga, such as breathing exercises, can be done right at your workspace. Yoga is beneficial any time of day. It increases blood flow, encourages focus, and renews energy levels. Yoga is also a great help in a stressful work environment. Taking just a few moments aside for yoga will lower blood pressure and decrease anxiety levels.

The benefits of incorporating exercise into your workday haven’t gone unnoticed by businesses. Studies have shown it increases productivity. Keeping employees healthy is good business sense. Healthy employees mean fewer sick days and happier people at work. Exercising decreases depression as well as a wide variety of psychological and mental advantages. More and more business are instituting nutrition plans and work out options for employees.

When finances, time, or any of life’s troubles make exercising hard, throw a few of these simple exercises together for mini-workout that will keep you in better physical and mental shape.